France’s Directorate General of Armaments (DGA) has delivered the Rafale B374 to its DGA Flight Tests centre. Unlike operational Rafale fighters, the aircraft will not be sent on combat missions. It is intended to test equipment and systems for the current fleet and the future Rafale F5 standard.
The B374 is the final aircraft from Dassault Aviation’s fourth production tranche, ordered in 2021, and was delivered in the F4.1 configuration. It gives the DGA its own test aircraft, allowing it to return the Rafale B348, which the Air and Space Force had loaned to the agency for an extended period.
A test aircraft is fitted with measurement equipment, data recorders and a data link to teams monitoring trials on the ground. The B374 will carry sensors to assess whether systems such as radar, weapons and software work as intended before they are considered for operational aircraft.
Its first role will be to support development of the current F4 standard using removable test equipment. Dassault Aviation is then expected to undertake a major modification from around the second quarter of 2027, adding the interfaces needed for permanent, full-flight instrumentation. The aircraft is scheduled to return to the test fleet in 2028.
In that configuration, the B374’s modular information-processing system will use a dedicated test version of its software. The DGA says the aircraft will then be able to evaluate future Rafale F5 sensors, including the RBE2 XG next-generation radar, which is still under development. Current Rafales use the RBE2 AESA radar, fitted as standard since 2012.
The F5 is also intended to operate alongside combat drones as part of collaborative, increasingly automated combat capabilities. The DGA describes delivery of the B374 as a step in renewing its flight-test fleet and strengthening its ability to support the F5’s development. Dassault Aviation has indicated that the F5 could enter service between 2033 and 2035.
Sources: Numerama.